Hew Locke’s For Those in Peril on the Sea still at the PAMM

For Those in Peril on the Sea (2011) is an installation by Hew Locke (b. 1959), a British artist of Guyanese descent. It consists of dozens of scaled-down replicas of ships suspended from the ceiling, creating the impression of a massive exodus taking place throughout the architectural space above the viewer.

Locke’s installation addresses the sea as a transnational space, constructed from the migrations of people, goods, and cultures. The sea is articulated here as an environment filled with ambitions, potential prosperity and pleasure as well as fear, trauma, and hardship.

The boats are diverse in size and color and create a spectacular parade of nautical ingenuity. They include model boats found on the Internet, in shops, or handmade by the artist using cardboard, papier mâché, and wood. Locke has worked on each boat, repainting one in strong reds, another in greens or yellows, or covering it with additional materials, such as gold chains, medallions, or plastic plants and artificial flowers. These additions and alterations aesthetically unify this motley feet.

It features a broad range of vessel types, from cigarette boats, catamarans and cruise liners to ragged fishing skiffs and timeworn cargo ships.

In light of Miami’s history as the site for numerous waves of immigration—particularly from the Caribbean, and specifically by sea—For Those in Peril on the Sea will have a particular resonance for the Museum’s audiences. With its significant links to the South Florida community, this installation, part of Pérez Art Museum Miami’s permanent collection, promises a powerful initial experience for visitors to the new building.